Improved tire-escape



@uitrit ff @anni @frn JonN WAGNER `AND JOHN SGHMID, or PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA. Letters Patent No. 66,058, dated June 25, 1867.

IMPROVED FIRE-ESCAPE.

TO ALL WHOM ITMAY GONOERN:

Bc it known that we, JonNWAGNnn and Jol-1N Sentire, of the city ofPhiladelphia, in the State of Pennsyl- Vania, haveinvented a new anduseful Improvement in thc Lattice Elevator and FireEscape; and we dohereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the construction and operation of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is an end elevation of the said improved machine.

Figure 2, a side elevation.

Figure 3, a plane view of thegbase and gearing; and

Figure 4, an enlarged sectional side view of the jointed rack of thesame- Like lett-ers of reference indicating the same parts when in the4dilfer'ent figures. o

Our invent-ion relates to that class of elevators and tire-escapes whichconsist of two or more vertical parallel series of jointed lattice-work,resting on a base and supporting a platform above, so that the lattercanbe raised and lowered in front of a buildingr or elsewhere, andconsists in the construction and application of a peculiar jointed rackin combination with operating pinions and take-up cylinders, arranged tooperate the lattice, substantially as hereinafter described; p and ourinvention also consists inthe peculiar :arrangement and combination,with the series of Vthe lattice-work, of friction-wheels and supportingbearings, as hereinafter described, fertile-purpose of moresubstantially supporting the said lattice frames in their elevatedpositions.

Referring `to the drawings, A A' A" are three series of the jointedlattice frames; Bl, the supporting base; the platform; D D', thejointedracks; E E', the operating pinions of the racks; F F', the take-upcylinders of the same; G, the friction-wheels; and H H, the supporjingbearings therefor'. Each of the three selies of the lattice frames Aconsists of two layers of numerous long,` thin, stili` plates of ironpivoted together, the platesA of each layer crossing those of the otherin parallel lines, as represented in iig. 1. The three series A A' A"are connected vtogether parallel with each other by means of horizontaltie-rods, et', which serve also as the middle .and the two end pivots ofthenlattice plates. (See figs'. 2 and The lower end of each latticeframeAfis pivoted to and supported upon two slotted posts Z1' (see g. 1,) andthe two lowest plates a4 (see iig. 1) are elongated outward and bentupward so as'to form arms, a", which carry tllle frictionwheels G, sothat the'latter will lroll-up and down against the'curved bearing postsH, and thus tog ether aord more stability tothe lattice frames whenelevated. The platform C is supported in a horizontal position on theupper ends of the lattice frames A by means of slotted studs c', towhich the inner ends of the two highest plates of each lattice frame Aarercspectively pivoted. The middle tie-rod at the upper ends of thelattice frames A slide up and down in two slotted steadying posts e" e"xed to the under side of the platform C, and thus a'ords additionnelstability to the 4horizontal position of the platform as the latticeplates rise and fall in the operation of the machine. The jointed racksD D' each consists of a straight, rigid bar, d", and a series of likeshort rectangular iiat plates, d', of iron, toothed on one edge andconnected together by knife-joints, (see-'iig'. 4,) so that the toothedand jointed part of the bar can be wound edgewise aronndits respectivetake-up cylinder F, and also, when aligned with the rigid part CZ", formwith it a straight bar, which will enter and Aslip along through thesockets or boxes d, which are fixed along in the middle of the width ofeach of the two outside latticc frames A A". The upper end of each ofthe jointed bars D D' is xed permanently in the upper `socket or boX CZof its frame, (see gs.' 1 and 2,) so that when the bars D are forcedupward through their respective sockets or boxes d* they willnecessarily lift the sockets d5 c25 and consequently canse the expansionor elongation upward of all the lattice frames A A' A". The raising andlowering of the jointed bars are effected by means of the two pinions EE' on the shaft e", which gear into the respective teeth of D and D',the

said pinions being operated by the spur-wheels I I on their shaft andthe Ipinions J J connected with a crankhandle, K, and the whole retainedflrmlyat any height by means ofva pawl, L, and ratchet-wheel, M. (Seeiig. On one end ofthe shaft e there is a spur-whcel, N, which gears withthe spur-wheel O, and the latter with the spur-wheel 1 and on theshaftof the latter wheel P the two takenp cylinders F F' are fixed, and alsoconnected with the lower ends of the two respective jointed bars D D',the said cylinders and'gear-wheels being calculated in size so as totakeup and gire-olf the jointed bars D,as the pinions E may require inoperating the machine. .hecylinders F F' are permitted to slidelongitudinally on their shaft so as to keep in line with thejointed barsD during the taking up or the unwinding ofthe said bars or jointed racksDD?. The teeth of the saidracks D may, of course, bernade in either oftheir twotedges. The whole machine is intended to be hired on a truck orcarriage', so that it can be readily drawn from place to place, or incase of a building on fire to be run close up tothe Walls and operatedeither for the purposeeoi` elevating firemen with hose or for gainingaccess to the upper Windows and rescuing the inmates or valuables andlowering them speedily and safely fno lthe ground. On the platform thereis a sliding-plate, s, for bridging to a window when necessary.

A. machine of this description can be produced entirely of iron for fouror five hundred dollars, which )vill be easily transportable, andcapable of elevating its platform, with the weight'of three or four menupon'it, to thevheight of forty feet in a few minutes, with perfectsafety, and with but little exertion applied to the handcrank. Forpainters, andother artisans requiring light, portable scatiolds, itcan'be produced at much less cost and will afford greater facility thanthe ladders or other portable supporting devices heretofore used,

Having thus fully described our improvement in the lattice elevator andre-escape, what we claim as new I therein of our invention, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is confined to the following` viz:

1, We claim, in elevatorsand tire-escapes, the lattice frames, incombination with thejointcd racks D D', the operating pinions E E', andthe take-up cylinders F F', the same being arranged to `operatetogether, substantially as described, for the purpose of elevating andgiving stiffness and steadincss to the lattice frames when in use.

2. We also claim, in combination with the lattice frames A of :inelevator and tire-escape, the frictioni Wheels Grand the bearing postsH, arranged to operate together substantially as described, for thepurpose of' giving additional stability to the lattice frames whenelongated, as described. l

' JOHN WAGNER,

JOHN SCHMID.

Witnesses:

l BENJ. Morrison,

WM. H. MonIsoN.

